Friday, 16 May 2014

The opposition Hindu nationalist BJP party has promised "good times ahead" as early results suggest it is on course for a landslide victory.

Although final results are not expected until later, the scale of the predicted victory is such that the ruling Congress party has admitted defeat.

BJP leader Narendra Modi tweeted: "India has won. Good times ahead."

This is the most resounding victory for a political party in India for 30 years, say correspondents. Mr Modi, chief minister of the western state of Gujarat, is seen as a no-nonsense, can-do leader who stands for development and muscular nationalism, says the BBC's Soutik Biswas.

He campaigned on promises of a revival in economic growth.

But many Indians still have profound concerns over Mr Modi because of claims he did little to stop the 2002 communal riots in Gujarat, in which at least 1,000 people died, most of them Muslims - allegations he has always denied and over which he was never charged.

The election result will be a crushing blow to the Congress party, which is led by the Nehru-Gandhi family and has dominated Indian politics since independence.

It reflects voter anger with Congress, which has been mired in serious corruption scandals and whose leadership has been considered ineffective in recent years, analysts say.